Main oncological scientific events in the last months in Romania – let’s have a unique voice for those who deal with cancer

In this autumn, several oncology confe­rences and congresses took place, which we must admit they ensure better knowledge among oncology specialists in Romania. These are the Congress of the Romanian Society of Medical Oncology (SNOMR), the Conference of the Romanian Society of Radiotherapy and Medical Oncology (SRROM), and I must also mention the Conference of the Regional Institute of Oncology in Iaşi (CONFER). All these scientific events are useful for the affirmation of young oncologists, for continuing the activity of well-known doctors in Romania who still have something to say, and for experience exchange. Since I have often invited personalities of Romanian oncology to express their opinions in this journal in the form of editorials – but, regrettably, I have not received any feedback –, I will allow myself to make some remarks on the situation of oncology, and especially the medical one in Romania. Unfortunately, I only note from sources that the expenses for the events organized by oncology societies are constantly increasing. This should give us food for thought. In Europe, there is only one oncology society. In addition, there were discussions like this one, so at the beginning, when medical onco­logy was not recognized by the competent forums in this regard, the European Society was crea­ted, with the name of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO). After the European recognition of medical oncology specialty, voices appeared which demanded changing the name of the society to the “European Society of Multidisciplinary Oncology” (ESMO). In the United States, this trend is for all specialists to work in collaboration and present their works together at the annual ASCO Congress. I believe that, in order to achieve this goal in Romania as well, the president of the society should be a doctor who deals with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer at different stages of its evolution, and to have two vice-presidents of different specialties. I also believe that all decisions made in the society should be taken after consulting the General Assembly. You will say that in a congress there will be no time to present all the papers, but we forget that now there is no committee to select the papers that are presented, which greatly lowers the scientific level. Original papers should be encouraged, and not reviews. ESMO recommendations should be highlighted, and not the “original” recommendations. Pre-congress or congress courses are useful, but they must be held under the aegis of the universities of medicine and pharmacy in our country, and not with self-proclaimed lecturers. As a final observation, although we could discuss much more and I invite the leaders of oncology in Romania to do so, scientific presentations should be separated much more clearly from corporate ones.